Ethics Matters

Recently, Thomas Shanks, S.J., director of the Markkula Center
for Applied Ethics, gave a workshop for a large group of high-school
literature teachers. "How many of you teach about ethics when
you consider character in a novel?" he asked. Only one or two
hands went up.

Thinking the group was interpreting ethics too narrowly, he
rephrased: "How many of you lead your classes to look at the
moral questions a character faces in a novel?" Another few hands
went up.

Getting people to recognize the ethical dimension of their
everyday lives was the starting point for that workshop, as
it is in many Center programs. As always, Shanks delivered a
simple, underlying message: "Paying attention to moral choices
is important. We used to get this guidance from our families;
now, more and more of us rely on public institutions for a consideration
of ethical issues."

As the Center marks its 10th anniversary, we are constantly
looking for ways to inject ethics into public discussion. Our
strategic plan, outlined in this
Issues in Ethics, details how we intend to continue that
effort through 2001.

Also in this issue, we focus on how to conduct public discourse
in an ethical manner. "Demonizing
Our Opponents," by Christopher B. Kulp, associate professor
of philosophy at Santa Clara University, looks at the damage
inflicted on the common good when we vilify the character of
those with whom we disagree.

Our feature "On the One Hand" tries to reframe the debate
on affirmative action, avoiding the name calling that too often
accompanies argument on this topic. The companion piece about
the Common Ground Project tells how a diverse group of Santa
Clara Valley residents is attempting to find areas of agreement
on difficult issues such as race and education.

The importance of public truth telling is addressed in a report
on an SCU trip to Guatemala, which
allowed faculty and staff to meet with some of the people who
are trying to rebuild that war-torn country. One of them, Rigoberto
Perez, directs the Project to Recover the Historic Memory, which
tapes interviews with those who lived through human rights abuses.
"People who have not been able to tell what happened to them
for 15 or 20 years -- to be able to tell it now takes a terrible
load off their backs," he said.

The views expressed on this site are the author's. The
Markkula Center for Applied Ethics does not advocate particular positions
but seeks to encourage dialogue on the ethical dimensions of current
issues. The Center welcomes comments
and alternative points of view.